I will confess I’ve never yet looked critically at external hardware controllers to connect with modular. I got into modular years after most of my other studio investments.
My main studio/modular rig has NI Komplet Kontrol S88mkII keyboard to my DAW, with a Roli Seaboard49 less used (but I’m wanting to use it more esp MPE). I figured any MIDI/CV from this setup would be via the computer (not the controller outs), SO I haven’t looked seriously at best external controlers interfacing directly with modular (eg bypassing the computer).
My travel modular I use alone or alongside other small things like a Roland Jupiter XM. The JXM I could do as Farkas suggests, ARP out…
Sounds like the Arturia lineup is worth consideration, if I don’t already have something close enough to that.
And the general theme above I’m taking as “handle as much of the note instructions as possible outside of modular” eg it’s more efficiently done in something like an Arturia controller or DAW…
Thanks for the ideas guys!!